b o o k k u |. when they returned, and Mirovitch, with his cannon
«—^— 'pointed, feemed refolutely determined to force his way, the
officers, finding no poffibility o f further refiftance, attacked
with their drawn fwords the unfortunate objedt o f this con-
teft, who had been awakened by the tumult, and had ftarted
out o f bed.
The prince, though without any weapon, and almoft
naked, yet, animated with defpair, made a vigorous defence :
he parried their repeated thrufts; and, though pierced through
the hand, broke one o f their fwords, until overpowered and
ftabbed in feveral places, he was difpatched by a wound in
the back. The officers immediately threw open the
door, and, pointing to the body o f Ivan, exclaimed, “ Here
“ is your emperor!?
Mirovitch, upon beholding the dead body, ftarted back
in an agony o f furprize; foon, however, recolle£ting himfelf,
he made no other attempt, but returned with perfetft com-
pofure to the governor Berednikof, and delivering up his
fword, calmly faid, “ I am now your prifoner.”
On the following day, the body o f Ivan was expofed in a
ihirt and a pair o f drawers before the guard-houfe in the
fortrefs ; whither an immenfe concourfe o f people flocked
from all quarters. I was informed by a gentleman, who
was'prefent upon the occafion, that he found it impoffible
to defcribe the animated grief which appeared in the countenances,
attitudes, and expreffions o f the people at the fight
of a prince, who had once been feated on the throne, whofe
misfortune only, and no crime, had occafioned his imprifon-
ment; and whofe wretched exiftence had been prematurely
ciofed by the hand o f violence.
The concourfe at lalt was fo great as to excite apprehen-
fions o f a tumult: the body was accordingly wrapped up
3 in
H I S T O R Y OF P R I N C E IVAN. 47
in a flieep fkin, put into a coffin, and buried in an antient CI^ ?-
chapel of the fortrefs, which is now demoliihed. «— d-Li
According to the information I received from thofe who
had feen the body o f Ivan, he was fix feet in height, hand-
fome, and athletick; he had fmall fiery eyes, red hair and
beard, and a complexion uncommonly fair, which had been
rendered pallid by confinement.
T h e account o f this wild enterprize'of Mirovitch, and o f
Ivan’s death, was forwarded to count Panin, together with
feveral copies o f the manifefto which had been originally
concerted with Uffiakof, and which were found upon Mirovitch
when he furrendered. This manifefto contained the
moft virulent abufe and dreadful imprecations againft the
emprefs, who Was reprefented as an ufurper o f the throne o f
which Ivan was the lawful fovereign ; and the copies were
to have been diifributed as foon as the prince ffiould be ref-
cued and brought to the capital. Count Panin difpatched
immediate intelligence to the emprefs in Livonia, who commanded
lieutenant-general Weymar to repair without delay
to Schluflelburgh, in order to examine Mirovitch and his af-
fociates; and to collect all poffible information that might
contribute to a full difcovery o f their defigns. This information,
together with the confeffion o f Mirovitch and his accomplices,
was laid before a committee compofed o f five
principal ecclefiafticks, the fenate, 'and o f other nobles high
in rank and office. Mirovitch and his abettors, being removed
to Peteriburgh; were examined at different times before
this committee, both fepaiately and together; and the
refult of alt thefe inquiries tended to fhow, that Mirovitch
had not been inftigated to this attempt; but that he had
originally contrived the plot, and had. a£te.d throughout the
whole tranfaftion folely from himfelf.
D urinet>;